The present invention relates generally to a transfer machine having a plurality of working units for applying individual working to respective workpieces, and more particularly to a numerically controlled transfer machine of a type that the working feed operation of each of the working units is automatically controlled according to numerical-input data.
In the transfer machine of prior art construction, the working feed operation of each of the working units has been controlled by a cam mechanism. Therefore, the number of processes of a working trace is restricted, because it is difficult to complicate the configuration of the cam. In a tooling change, much labor is required to design the cam calculated from the working trace, exchange the cam, fabricate the cam and obtain accuracy, so that the conventional machine is not suitable for a little working of various workpieces.
The present invention overcomes the above-pointed disadvantages and provides a numerically controlled transfer machine in such manner that the working feed operation of the respective working units is driven directly by a pulse motor and the like, in addition, a numerically control mechanism is equipped, so that automatic order, feed direction, feed speed, feed amount of the working unit are automatically controlled on the basis of the numerical data programmed in advance on a digital switch or tape and the like.